AboutTom Expertise I can tell you detail of every major hotel in Vegas, such as the restaurants they offer and the attractions they maintain, on the Las Vegas Strip. The kind of patrons each hotel attracts. How to play blackjack, both etiquette and strategy. How to obtain comps and make the most of your money when in town. Any Vegas general knowledge.
Experience
Past/Present clients Caesar's Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Bally's, Paris and Las Vegas Hilton.
Question My husband and I are taking our 7 year old son to LV in late September. We are on a budget so we are looking for hotels preferably under $100/night. We want a hotel that has clean and quiet rooms (I'm a very light sleeper) on the strip. Obviously we won't be gambling...well, maybe a little...so we will be taking in the sights such as Treasure Isle, Bellagio's water show, Wax museum and such. So far my research has lead me to Circus Circus, Imperial Palace, Excalibur, Stardust and Flamingo. Do you think these hotels would be satisfactory for us? My only concern is with Excalibur; the last time my husband and I went to Vegas and took in the "Tournament", there were literally hundreds of kids swarming around. I don't know how quiet the hotel rooms would be...if kids would be trampling down the halls late at night.
Also, I've heard that we could buy a 24 hr. bus pass for X amount, are you familiar with this and where we would purchase (from bus driver?)
Thanks in advance!
Answer For your 7-year-old, I would definitely go with Circus Circus or Excalibur. Both properties are roughly the same quality, and they are the best fit for children.
If you stay at Excalibur you will be close to many things, like Luxor (the pyramid), New York-New York (has a roller coaster and big arcade), MGM Grand (see the lion habitat), the M&M and Coca-Cola store, the movie theaters, and of course the Excalibur hotel.
The best site I've found for non-biased reviews of all Las Vegas hotels is:
www.CheapoVegas.com
Investigate this site for some great "insider" information without the sales pitch!
As far as the hotel being loud at night, I'm not sure about the specifics of Excalibur, but I have never had a problem at any hotel with late night noise. That should really not be a concern, as I don't think Excalibur would be any better or worse than any other hotel on your list. When you check in, you might ask the desk clerk if there are any rooms available at the far end of the hall, facing away from the strip - that way you won't have people walking by your room to get to the elevator, and you won't get the street noise from the strip. Also make sure to ask for a room on the south side of the property, because the rooms facing north will be direcly across the street from NY-NY and their roller coaster, which is very loud.
About the strip bus, I think you must be talking about the "trolley bus" that runs every 20 minutes and goes up and down the strip. I have not heard of an all-day pass, but I think the ride fare is pretty equitable at $1.30.
Another option, opening soon, is the new monorail that will run from the MGM Grand to the LV Hilton. You can buy an all-day pass or even a 3-day pass. Here is their site: www.lvmonorail.com
